


A Prevention

by asecretfanaccount



Category: Frankenstein - Mary Shelley, Hamlet - All Media Types, Hamlet - Shakespeare, The Messenger | I Am the Messenger - Marcus Zusak
Genre: And Ed is just tired, Crack, Crack Crossover, Done for an English Project, F/M, Hamlet is overly dramatic, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, POV Alternating, Seriously folks this is so dumb, Victor is bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 15:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18524143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asecretfanaccount/pseuds/asecretfanaccount
Summary: Ed staggers into his house, nearly tripping over the Doorman on his way to his fridge. He is battered and bruised physically and emotionally. I almost killed a man today, he thinks idly as he tears into one of those microwavable potpies and nukes it. As he sits down to eat he notices a playing card on the table. His heart in his throat he picks it up.Or the one where Ed Kennedy verbally slaps some sense into Hamlet and Victor.





	A Prevention

**Author's Note:**

> This is some quality nonsense done for a High School English final.

Ed staggers into his house, nearly tripping over the Doorman on his way to his fridge. He is battered and bruised physically and emotionally. I almost killed a man today, he thinks idly as he tears into one of those microwavable potpies and nukes it. As he sits down to eat he notices a playing card on the table. His heart in his throat he picks it up.

Victor hasn't slept in a week and he’s starting to see things out of the corner of his eye but he’s so close, just a little longer and he’ll finally have cracked it. The key to life. The smell of rotting corpses surrounds him but he stopped noticing that three months ago. He’s assembling a knee cap when somewhere off to his left a timer goes off. He jumps up and hurries up the stairs. He swings the bookshelf shut behind him and grabs his bag. If he misses another lecture Elizabeth is going to kill him.

Hamlet is done, the class has not even started yet and he is already done. First Ophelia breaks up with him over text, which she did not even give a reason for, then he gets an invitation to his mother's wedding to his uncle, and now his teacher is late if he shows up at all. Of course. Honestly, it would probably be less painful if he just surrendered himself to the creeping inevitability of death but then who knows what resides beyond the vale. It might be worse.

Ed stands in front of the house, looks at the card then looks back at the house, this can’t be the right place. But this is where the Kingsons live. He takes a breath and rings the buzzer and cringes as he hears the sound echo through what really is more of a castle in his opinion. The door opens and a young girl appears, looking bored. She’s wearing clothes that are just this side of too tight and her shirt is cut low, “No solicitors.”  
“Oh, uh. I’m looking for Hamlet?” it comes out as more of a question and Ed doesn’t know what to do with his hands.  
“Which one?”  
“There's more than one of them?” Now Ed is really confused.  
“Not anymore.” the girl looks faintly amused now and it’s grating on Ed's nerves.  
“The one that’s still alive.” he grits out.  
“Oh, he’s not here right now. Come back later.” she sais and then shuts the door in his face. Ed, not one to give up so easily, rings the buzzer again. When the door swings open again the girl looks like she’s trying to keep a straight face. “Where-” he starts.  
“No solicitors” she interrupts.  
“I’m not soliciting!” Ed yells and now the girl is grinning, “Where is Hamlet?”  
“Probably at the University,” she says smile still firmly in place and Ed is going to blow a gasket if he has to look at her for another second. So he turns and stiffly walks away from the smiling girl and the castle she inhabits.

“Professor?” someone questions.  
Victor turns and squints over his glasses at his student “Yes?”  
“Why try and find the meaning of life when the inevitability of death hangs overhead?” The speaker, it turns out, is Hamlet Kingson, one of his more eclectic students.  
“Knowledge is power, Mr. Kingson,” He answers and is about to turn back to the equation on the board when,  
“Do you believe that life could be artificially created?” Victor’s heart rate picks up and his palms start to sweat, there is no way Hamlet knows. Elizabeth doesn’t even know. He can’t know. Can he?  
Victor moistens his lips and tries to keep his voice steady, “If you're interested in discussing the mysteries of the universe, Mr. Kingson, my office is open from ten-thirty to twelve. Now if you have no questions concerning the actual class I’d thank you to let me get back to teaching,” turning fully towards the board he pretends that his hand isn’t shaking as he continues with the lesson.

Interesting. Hamlet has never seen the professor react like that before. He knows something Hamlet is sure of it. He might take him up on that offer to see him after class. 

“Do you know where Hamlet might be now?” Ed asks the secretary attempting to keep his voice down. Sue him, it’s been a long day. He hasn’t slept in two days and it’s fraying his nerves.  
“I can check his schedule if you would like,” She’s the kind of pretty that makes you want to pay attention and her voice is syrupy.  
Ed feels a headache forming just behind his eyes, “Please.”  
Her red nails clack against the keyboard and a strand of hair falls into her eyes. “Try Dr. Frankenstien’s classroom, A203,” she scribbles directions onto a sticky note and hands it to him, “Goodluck.”  
Ed takes the sticky, “Wait did you say Frankenstein?” he asks. She nods. This might be easier than he first thought.

As everyone packs up their stuff Hamlet makes his way down to the professor. “I have decided to take you up on your offer,”  
The professor looks up leerily, “What offer?”  
“Why discuss the mysteries of the universe of course,” Hamlet leans on the professor's desk, affecting nonchalance. He carefully catalogs the way the professor’s jaw ticks and how his eyes flick to the side. He’s not a bad looking guy considering the bags under his eyes, baggy suit and overall neuroticness, though Hamlets not exactly well balanced himself so he will not hold it against him.  
“Oh?” The word wavers a little and Hamlet smirks.  
“Specifically,” he perches on the edge of the desk “synthetic life,” the professor swallows and he leans back.  
“If you would get off my desk, we may discuss it,” Hamlet complies.  
“You know something.”

Victor’s mind is moving a hundred miles an hour. Will Hamlet report him? How does he know? What does he want? “What makes you say that?”  
“Your body language when I first brought it up. You tensed and then redirected probably in the hopes I would forget,” Hamlet answers.  
“You’re remarkably observant.”  
“You are doing it again. What do you know?” Hamlet asks, his persistence is admirable.  
Victor heaves a sigh “Nothing yet,” Hamlets eyes narrow and he leans forward, “I've been conducting experiments. I’m so close! I have all the pieces I just need more time and I -” a knock interrupts him.

Ed knocks on the door and waits. He can see two people inside, a part of him hopes he’s not interrupting anything important another larger part of him just wants this is to be over as soon as possible. One of the guys walks over to the door and opens it.  
“Can I help you?” the guy arches an eyebrow as he looks down at Ed.  
Ed fortifying breath and asks “is Hamlet here?”  
“That depends, who is asking?” the guy tilts his head,  
“Ed Kennedy, I need to see Hamlet,”  
“What for?”  
“That's what I’m trying to find out.” Ed grits his teeth and counts backward from ten.  
Suddenly the guy’s demeanor shifts with no warning, his whole body opens up and he  
steps aside, “well don’t just stand around come in,” he says just as friendly as anything,  
as if he hadn’t just been standing in the way. Ed wants to kill him then he remembers the sound of the gunshot and the smell of gunpowder. His head throbs.  
Ed steps into the classroom, “I’m assuming your Hamlet.”  
“The one and only,” wow is this guy cocky.  
“Now,” Ed doesn’t know what compelled him to say that but Hamlet’s face goes dark and suddenly Ed understands. “Your father.”  
“My father's death was a terrible accident,” Hamlets tone is flat but his eyes flash.  
“You don’t believe that.” Ed suddenly feels in over his head. Murder? He’s not equipped for killing. He’s already proven that.  
“If my uncle had waited before his body was cold to bed my mother I might of,” Hamlet snarls and Ed takes a step back.  
“Is this why you wanted to talk to me?” a voice asks. They both start and turn towards the other guy, who Ed had honestly forgotten was there.  
Hamlet blanches slightly, “Professor… I -”  
“You wanted to find a way to bring your father back,” the professor sound half horrified half intrigued.  
“Like your not conducting some morally bankrupt experiment in your basement.” Hamlet bites.  
The professor flushes angrily and Ed feels the need to step in before this escalates any farther, “Wait. wait, wait a second here Hamlet, you can’t raise the dead. And that goes for you to Frankenstein-”  
“But-” Dr. Frankenstein starts.  
“But nothing. No dead raising. I don’t want to know how you even know how to do that.” Ed says voice rising. “And you!” He says turning to Hamlet “If you believe your dad was murdered why don’t you tell, oh I don’t know, the police!?”  
“I-” Hamlet starts then looks down pensive.  
Ed turns to Dr. Frankenstien “What you are trying to do is highly immoral and probably illegal. You’re lucky I don’t report you.”  
The Dr. looks aghast, “But all my research! I’m so close! I can’t stop now.” He starts to pace.  
“Dr. Frankenstien believe me when I say that the dead should stay dead.”  
“Professor,” Hamlet says “Are you familiar with the story of Prometheus? The Titan who created humanity only to be punished for eternity?”  
“Yeah,” Ed cuts in, “Maybe let’s not do what he did. Humanity didn't turn out so hot. Who knows what you might create.”

Victor continues to pace. He never considered the consequences. What if they’re right and he creates a monster. What if he discovers something that changes modern medicine and saves millions of people. Is it worth the risk? He’s so close. The thought of getting his liver pecked out briefly flashes across his mind. He’s so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice Hamlet until he grabs him by the shoulders and he suddenly finds himself staring into his eyes. They’re blue he notices idly.  
“Professor, it is all right. We will not tell anyone if you decide to continue your work,” at this Hamlet glances at Ed, “I promise. However, consider what you know already. Think of all the good you could do.”  
“I’m so close…” it comes out as a whispered plea.  
Hamlet slides his hands down till they come to rest in Victors “I know but you have to draw the line somewhere.”  
A snort sounds behind them and Victor jolts away from Hamlet who looks disappointed for the split second before he turns towards Ed. “Says the guy who was gonna try to raise his father from the dead not ten minutes ago,” A flush creeps up Hamlet's neck.  
“I have decided against that,” Hamlet says stiffly.  
Ed blinks slowly “Ooookay then, what have you decided to do?”  
Victor is still staring at Hamlet. He should probably stop doing that. Yeah, anytime now. Elizabeth is going to kill him, he’s decided. He’s definitely dead when he gets home.  
Hamlet’s eyes flick back to him then return to Ed, “Why contact the proper authorities as you said.” He grins, slow as melted butter, and tilts his head slightly.  
“I-” Ed takes a breath “I don’t believe you.”

Hamlet is still smiling but his mind is moving a hundred miles an hour. How does this kid know so much, why is he here, “Why do you care?”  
Ed shrugs “Because I was assigned to,”  
“Who assigned you” Hamlet’s eyes narrow and his smile diminishes slightly.  
“Don’t know. Why do you?”  
“Do what?”  
“Care.”  
The smile slides off Hamlet’s face, “I do not-” he stops and glances at the professor, “I do not know.”  
Ed looks at Hamlet, “I’m only here to deliver the message. What you do with it is your own business.” He turns and walks out.


End file.
